Following a remarkable period of M&A activity in the RIA industry, one of the star bankers in the industry has made the leap from leading deals to leading one of the largest RIAs in wealth management. 

 In this special episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host Mark Bruno, the Managing Director of the Wealth Management Group at Informa, engages in a fascinating dialogue with Liz Nesvold, a renowned investment banker with a 30-year career in the industry.

Recorded live at the RIA Edge Conference, this episode offers an exclusive peek into Liz’s recent transition from investment banking to her new role as President of Cresset, one of the fastest-growing and most successful RIA firms. Together, they explore the motivations behind her move and delve into the opportunities within the RIA space, drawing from Liz’s vast experience advising on major transactions and working with top-tier investment firms.

Throughout the conversation, they touch on various topics including:

• The current state of mergers and acquisitions, along with RIA valuations
• Opportunities to accelerate growth in the RIA channel 
• The challenges and opportunities associated with talent acquisition. 
• Liz’s deep insights and unique perspective shed light on the evolving landscape  

Resources:

 RIA Edge Podcast

Connect With Mark Bruno:

• WealthManagement.com
• LinkedIn: WealthManagment.com
• LinkedIn: Mark Bruno
• Twitter: Mark Bruno
• LinkedIn: Informa

Connect With Liz Nesvold:

• LinkedIn: Liz Nesvold 
• Cressetcapital.com

About Our Guest:

Throughout her 30-year career, Liz has served as a trusted consultant and investment banker, providing exceptional advice to her clients across business strategy, succession planning, integration, and growth.

Liz is a founder and CEO herself, having launched and built the investment bank Silver Lane Advisors with several talented partners, including her husband, Peter Nesvold. Under Liz’s leadership, Silver Lane became a widely recognized leading RIA M&A firm, which was sold to a Fortune 500 company in 2019. Liz remained a Managing Director and Head of Asset and Wealth Management Investment Banking until joining Cresset.

Among her many recognitions, Liz was recognized as a Woman to Watch by InvestmentNews in 2019 for her leadership in the financial advisory industry. She has also been an active champion and advocate for women in financial services throughout her career and is a member of CHIEF, 100 Women in Finance, and Young Presidents Organization. She serves as the independent director on the board of ClientWise, which she recapitalized with Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures Fund.

Liz earned a Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University and an MBA in Finance with high honors from Fordham University Gabelli School of Business.

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Building an RIA firm that can successfully attract, retain and develop top talent – and ultimately become the “RIA of choice” in a specific market — is no easy feat. But one firm, Halbert Hargrove, for years has been building bridges from G1, to G2 and even G3 talent. In the process the firm’s experiences has created a bit of a roadmap for other RIA firms to learn from and follow as they look to expand their talent base. 

In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, JC Abusaid, the President and CEO of Halbert Hargrove, talks with Mark Bruno about the key lessons learned from the firm’s organic growth and human capital growth. Specifically, Mark and JC discuss:

•  The importance of internships and structured programs to develop talent
•  Designing a firm that is structured to grow organically – with consistency – across the organization
•  The importance of advanced succession planning
•  How firms can successfully expand their networks and attract new talent

Resources:

 RIA Edge Podcast

Connect With Mark Bruno:

• WealthManagement.com
• LinkedIn: WealthManagment.com
• LinkedIn: Mark Bruno
• Twitter: Mark Bruno
• LinkedIn: Informa

Connect With GUEST:

• JC Abusaid: Bio
• Halbert Hargrove Company Site
• JC Abusaid: LinkedIn

About Our Guest:

As CEO and President of Halbert Hargrove, JC is guiding the firm confidently into the future. Execution and operational excellence are his bywords; we consider him our glue. He formally took the helm of CEO in December 2021. For many years, working alongside Chairman and HH founder Russ Hill, JC has had the privilege to be involved in most facets of the firm, and has enjoyed being part of HH’s growth and success.

JC enjoys the dynamic nature of his role: “I like solving big challenges,” he says. He joined HH as Operations Manager in 1996 and was named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2010.

JC earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Finance emphasis from the Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Bogota, Colombia, and his MBA from University of Redlands School of Business. He was awarded the ACCREDITED INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY™ designation by the University of Pittsburgh-affiliated Center for Fiduciary Studies.

In 2016, JC was part of Stanford University’s pioneer cohort in earning a LEAD Certificate in Corporate Innovation from Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 2021, he was again part of an inaugural class, this time in taking part in BlackRock’s first Emerging Leader Lab.

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